One of our assignments for the E-Learning Practicum was to compose a reflection on some event or aspect of our practicum internship during the sixth week of the class. I chose to call my reflection Surviving an online synchronous train wreck. In addition to discussing a particularly vexing web conference in the summary I address some of my thoughts regarding online education.

As an intern for Assessments in E-Learning class I was given the opportunity to conduct a synchronous web conference about the course’s midterm project. I researched web conferencing tools and decided to use Blackboard Collaborate via their 30 day trial offer. I prepared a simple Power Point presentation on the midterm project and rehearsed connecting with my son using Collaborate. Using Doogle, a meeting was scheduled for a Friday evening at 6:00 PM. The instructor for the course would attend the meeting and be there in the background to assist if anything went awry.

What could go wrong? … Let me count the ways. I’m kidding a little bit. No students were injured in the exercise but it was a humbling experience for me. It started with a large turnout (a good thing) and then massive amounts of feedback loops and echoing connections (expected, but not handled as well as I have done in the past) and then the realization that no one could see the slides. At that point I pretty much lost my game plan, stumbled through a wooden PowerPoint presentation (that I had imagined as only  an anchor for web conference), was rescued several times by the course instructor, finally thought to ask about some questions from students and ended humbled and shaken but relatively intact. The next day in the forums several students expressed their appreciation but one particularly honest student pointed out my discomfort with technology… which was a stab in the heart for someone who thought they were pretty technologically “with it”. The incident preyed on my mind for a couple days as I wrestled with a multitude of issues and results from the event.

Two things stick out in my mind. My reaction to the events at the time and my reaction post event. At the time of the event my initial reaction as things began to unravel was panic. The closest similar feeling I can recall, is that of a musical performance in front of an audience and the performance just bombs. On stage you can sense the reaction of the audience from looking at faces and gauging their reaction or non-reaction to what is happening. In this particular instance I was using video conferencing software and could see several of the participant’s faces which led to the feeling I was performing. I lost track of the context that the web conference wasn’t about me or my performance but was about providing information about the midterm project. So, that is the first important point. I was more focused on my performance than I was the goal of the activity, which was to review and provide assistance regarding the mid term project.

Upon reflection I conclude that poor preparation, panic and the inability to put my perception of the event into perspective after it took place were the reason for my discomfort. I failed to investigate all the features of the web conferencing tool so that I could respond properly to questions and problems. More importantly I should have kept the focus on the goal of the presentation and not be so concerned about the tool or my performance as a facilitator.

In the future it would be most useful for me to focus on perspective (not losing it) and preparation. You can’t anticipate and prepare for everything, so that’s where perspective comes in.  Sometimes things just go wrong. That’s why you plan for contingencies, over-prepare and keep your objectives clear. Those are the best prescriptions for success.

There are layers upon layers of lessons learned from this “event”; the value of preparation and perspective; the recognition that I need to keep the goal at the forefront of my mind; the value of reflecting on experiences; the realization that a certain amount of mental “toughness” or focus is necessary to keep the aforementioned perspective.

It is important to take the time to be familiar with your tools and each way that you plan to use them. Remind yourself of what you are really trying to accomplish. Develop some contingency plans if things spiral out of control. Be mindful that it is the students that we serve.

To a certain extent this was an unusual experience in that normally these are not issues when I act as facilitator. I think that operating as a student put me in the position to be much more “me” oriented than I normally am. The “me” orientation is what really elevated this from typical operator error to an initially troubling experience.  It took awhile for me to realize that the reason I was so uncomfortable with this experience was not because things didn’t go as I anticipated but rather that unlike more normal classes, for this internship I was having trouble dealing with the dichotomy of acting as a student and as a facilitator.

In summary, as I reflect on my participation as an intern in the sixth week of the course I can point to a number of things I have learned. Some connected to the ascribed event and many not.

For myself, I’ve learned the importance of communication and feedback, the necessity of vigorous attention to detail, to keep a clear idea of what the goals are, and to keep your ego out of the action.

For students, the lessons I have learned are; make sure instructions to them and due dates are clear, provide meaningful feedback in a timely manner, provide a checklist, be extremely attentive and respectful. Be able to explain why the activities required relate to the student. If you cannot provide a clear explanation as to why they are doing something, perhaps it is not necessary or appropriate.

I’ve also learned that doing an online class effectively requires an incredible amount of focus, time and energy. I’m starting to realize that for a class to be engaging it needs constant review and care. You are never really “done” with the course. It is an extremely organic entity and process. Aside from that… no worries… you just have to watch out for the occasional errant train wreck.